Kamen Rider RaiLeon: Redux!
by MaesterDimentio
Summary: An ancient enemy, long though defeated, has risen again, aiming to conquer all he sees. Those who fought against him previously are either dead or missing, save a sole vanguard. Now, the Guardian Beast of Lightning and Lee Collins, a young man looking for his place in the world, must fight together to stop his conquest. Together, they are the Golden Warrior of Lightning, RaiLeon!
1. Chapter 1

_**Let the new story begin... Now!**_

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><p><strong>Episode 1: Roar! The Beast of Lightning!<strong>

Deep within the mountains of Japan, a lone temple remained hidden from the world, obscured from prying eyes. Despite its great age, it remained intact and had been kept in nigh pristine condition thanks to the work of the priests who made the area there home. Few people had ever seen the temple and for that, the priests were grateful, for hidden within the temple was a tunnel that led down into the ground. A large door, covered with seals and bound with a golden chain and lock, stood in the center of a large cavern. It was the sacred duty of the priests to maintain and protect the temple in the hopes that the door would never be found or worse…

That it would be opened.

Jin, one of the head priests of the temple, watched as dark clouds began to form over the horizon. He turned his head to look behind him, where the other priests had gathered, various weapons in their hands. He felt a twinge of sadness in his heart. They were peaceful. To hold weapons like they did now, like his own naginata_,_ felt wrong and unsettling. However, with that sadness, he felt his own sense of responsibility to the previous shrine-keepers who would have defended this temple with their lives should the time ever come. As he turned and looked back to the horizon, he knew the time had come.

The dark clouds, once gathered far on the horizon, now hung above the temple. Streaks of red lightning arced across the clouds and a thick fog began to settle on the ground, completely obscuring the priests' vision. From within the fog, terrifying shrieks and howls could be heard, made by creatures that one could hardly fathom. Slowly, the outline of a figure came into being, approaching them. As it drew near and finer details could be made out, Jin could not help but recoil slightly in fear.

The monster, for no human could look like this, held a massive spiked club in its right hand. Dark red scales covered its body and it wore a black chestplate. The monster had a tail, which snaked along the ground in what seemed like anticipation, bony spikes jutting from the tip. As the monster saw Jin and the other priests, it narrowed its yellow eyes and the corners of its mouth curled up into what seemed like a smile, or a crude facsimile considering its snout.

"So…" it rasped. "So this is the Guardian Temple. Which would make you the Guardian Priests." It planted its weapon into the ground and leaned forwards onto it. A seemingly unsatisfied look crossed its face. "I expected more from the people who are protecting it."

Jin gritted his teeth and stepped forward, pointing his naginata at the creature. "Demon, away with you! We shall not allow you to defile the sanctity of this place!" No sooner did the words leave his mouth than the screams of his fellow priests reach his ears. He turned to see a shocking sight. Bolts of red lightning struck the temple grounds, blasting the stone floor of the temple to pieces. His fellow priests tried to dive away and avoid it, but to no avail.

A cold laugh made him look up. Standing on top of the gate to the temple was a robed man, his face obscured by his hood. A long, violet ribbon was stitched to the right shoulder of his black and dark red robes and had been swung over so that it hung from his left shoulder, various symbols woven into the fabric in gold. In his left hand he held a large black tome with a glowing violet eye on the front. "Did you expect to be able to protect this temple from us with such a meager force? My magic alone would have been enough to destroy all of you." He moved slightly to the side to avoid an arrow that had been fired by one of the priests, letting out a sigh of annoyance that was barely audible over the din of the thunder. "What a nuisance…" he said as he snapped his fingers. A bolt of red lightning dropped from the sky and struck the priest. There was a bright flash and then he was gone.

Jin turned around and rushed the scaled beast, his naginata aimed at its heart. "Damn you, you monsters!" he screamed as he thrust it forward. The creature simply grabbed the shaft of the weapon and flicked its wrist, snapping off the head of the spear.

"Pathetic, even for a human…" it murmured as it swung its fist, connecting painfully with the side of Jin's head. Jin crumpled in a heap and lay still, a faint trickle of blood running down his face. "Now then, where's the shrine?" It hefted its club onto its shoulder as it looked up at its ally. "Show me where it is, Malrok! I'm ready to raise Hell!"

Malrok pointed to the large doors of the temple behind them. "In there, Zabon." As Zabon began to walk towards the doors of the temple, Malrok jumped down from his perch, landing in front of him. "Do not bother. Lord Mithras has already made his way into the sanctuary. Soon, we shall have what we have desired for so long." A sudden roar made him spin around. The doors of the temple shot open from some invisible force. Beneath his hood, Malrok smiled.

It had begun.

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><p><em>Two warriors stood across from each other in a clearing. Fire surrounded the area they stood in, engulfing and destroying everything around it. There seemed to be a malevolence to the flames, as if they would greedily devour whatever was caught up in them. One of the warriors let out a dark laugh as they raised the massive sword they carried. "Surrender to fate, Guardian, as it has already chosen me as the ruler of this world."<em>

_The Guardian, who had been kneeling over the body of a fallen comrade dressed in blazing red, straightened as the light of the flames flickered off of his golden armor. The helmet he wore no longer had a faceplate and tears freely streamed down his face. "Damn you Mithras! All of this suffering, all of this death and destruction – why?! So you could live out some dark dream that you claim is FATE?" Drawing himself to his full height, the golden warrior picked his sword up from where he'd stabbed it into the ground. He took a look at the clearing and grimaced. Two more bodies, one clad in blue and the other in deep green, lay on the ground, blood pooling around their still forms. The laughter of the other warrior, Mithras, drew his attention._

"_Dream?" he questioned. "No, dear Guardian, this is no dream that I have chosen to make reality. __**This,**__" he motioned with his free hand to the area around them, "is fate choosing the one who shall lead this world to a new age! This is destiny taking its course, destroying all that would interfere in its greater design! What you do, and what your allies have failed to do, is nothing but a dream, Guardian Beast." He shook his head. "I was chosen by destiny, my rule preordained by powers greater than you or your kind could ever fathom. And destiny shall always be fulfilled."_

_The Guardian growled savagely as he lowered himself into a fighting stance. "Then this is one destiny that I promise will never be fulfilled!" With a roar, the Guardian and Mithras charged at each other, their blades flashing in the light of the dancing flames._

_There was the clashing of metal and a loud howl of agony pierced the air._

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><p><em>Again, I dream of that night.<em> The Guardian, though it had been long since he had been called such, smiled ruefully as he cracked open his eyes. He'd discarded much of the armor that he wore in his final battle with his oldest foe and now wore a black and gold tunic with matching, loose-fitting pants. His deep blue eyes drifted over to a small area on his right, where three small memorials had been raised. "Another day we spend apart, my friends…" There was nothing but sadness in his voice as he spoke, and the act of speaking the words almost seemed to pain him.

A sudden surge of pain did occur, however, forcing him to double over as he clutched his side. Lifting up the side of his tunic, he saw the scar he'd sustained during the final moments of his battle with Mithras: running from his hip to just next to his spine, it had nearly been a death blow. Sometimes, he wished it had been.

_Maybe I'm not so far from joining you after all, old friends. _Lying back on the soft grass, he let out a slow sigh. _There's nothing for me in this world. Mithras is dead, and so are my fellow Guardian Beasts. Those that were not killed remain dormant in their Cores, scattered to the furthest reaches of the known world._ _But, without a Host, my power has been slowly wasting away._ A grim smile creased his face at the thought. "A few more days, maybe only a few more hours if I'm fortunate … I'll be there soon, my-"

A wave of pure malice suddenly swept over him, making his eyes go wide as a terrifying screech resounded through his ears. Jolting up from his resting place, the air around him began to crackle with electricity. _What in the name of the Guardians was that!?_ He searched around wildly with his eyes, trying to pinpoint the location of the dark energy he'd just felt, when a scent he'd long thought gone entered his nose for the first time in centuries. Rage instantly filled his body at the thought of one man, one monster, filled his entire mind.

"MITHRAS!" he screamed. The air around him crackled violently, bolts of electricity arcing off of him and striking the ground, tossing up the dirt from the force of impact, as his eyes narrowed and turned deep gold and catlike. "How?! How is that bastard alive when they died to end him?" He was seething with total, uncontrolled rage. He felt like running towards where the scent came from and tearing apart the ancient warrior with his bare hands, when the wound the warrior dealt him flared up again, forcing him to his knees.

"I… I can't believe it… I've failed them…" he muttered, angry tears falling to the ground. "They died, I lived and fought, and for what? For him to return while I have no power to call upon?" He pounded the ground angrily with his fist as he willed himself to his feet. "No, I will not let it end like this! No matter what it takes, I _will_ find a way to stop him!" With a roar that could barely be described as human and more of a furious beast, his entire body turned into a sphere of crackling light that shot into the sky.

After so many years, the Guardian Beast of Lightning was going back on the hunt.

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><p>"<em>MOM! DAD!"<em>

A sudden boom broke the young man out of his thoughts, his heart pounding furiously as sweat poured down his face, which he quickly wiped away with the sleeve of his hoodie. _That dream, that damned dream…_ Clutching his fists tightly, to the point where he nearly drew blood from his palms, he looked out the window of the plane and sighed. "Just the thunder, Lee, just the thunder." The thought of this soothed him as another blast resounded from within the dark clouds the plane flew through.

"Oh, did the storm wake you?" He turned around to see a flight attendant looking at him, a concerned look on her face. "There's really no need to worry; though the storm was unexpected, the pilots have flown through worse and have made it through just fine. We should be touching down in Yakubo in an hour or so, so please try and relax."

Realizing she must have seen his reaction to the thunder, he smiled bashfully. "Oh, the storm's not really bothering me. It more surprised me than anything. Um, would you mind if…" He gestured to the cart the attendant was pushing, looking at one of the bottles of water. Nodding, she quickly took one off and handed it to him. Gratefully accepting it, he opened it and guzzled a few deep gulps before bringing it away. "Thanks… I had a bit of a bad dream, and the thunder just added to it. I'm fine, really." After a moment, the attendant bowed and resumed pushing her cart down the aisle.

Turning back to face the window, Lee smiled as he watched the graceful chaos of the storm unfold. The sudden flashes of lightning followed by the deep rumbles of thunder made him shake with excitement as the soft pattering of rain soothed him and the mysterious whisperings of the wind only drew him further into the beauty of the event. Most teenagers went to rock concerts in order to have this much excitement; Lee waited for the concert to come to him, and he always had a front row seat.

Leonard Steven Collins-Hirayama, or Lee Collins to his friends and family, was definitely not what you'd call a normal teenager. For as long as he could remember, he'd been entranced by storms; the raw power that could destroy you within seconds coupled with the awe inspiring sights and sound had made him fall into a deep love with the atmospheric event. For years in high school, and even for some time in middle school, he'd studied nearly every textbook on meteorology, absorbing the information with a passion that some would call obsession. Perhaps it was, but it was an obsession that had fueled him throughout his high school life. He'd taken every honors course he could get his hands on, taken every course he could think would bring him closer to becoming a weather researcher, and as a result had nearly gotten a perfect score on the science and math portions of the ACT the first time he took it because of it.

And yet, at nineteen, he hadn't set foot inside of a single college or university. No one but he knew why, and even he would question why he didn't follow through with his bright future from time-to-time, and though he felt sure of his decision, he couldn't find an answer. Living in a rented room from his aunt and uncle - at his urging, not theirs, as he refused to live his life as a free-loader - he'd supported himself through various small jobs he picked up from the city he lived near. While his life wasn't perfect, it was his and he was happy with it.

Then, when he turned nineteen, a letter had changed all of it. It was from his uncle, his mother's only brother, who lived in Japan, asking him to come and live with him for an extended period of time. Daisuke Hirayama: it was a name he'd only remembered in the back of his mind, and yet it filled him with excitement. Finally, after so many years, he'd be able to go to his mother's home country, live in her land, and finally learn about his heritage.

Being half-American and half-Japanese, he seemed to favor his father more than his mother; light brown hair that fell over dark brown eyes, with sharp, 'handsome'-as his aunt had insisted on calling them- features and a mouth that always seemed to have a smile on it. Many of his friends had been surprised to find out he was half-Japanese, as he apparently had a face that completely betrayed that half of his DNA. Regardless, once the letter had come and he'd gotten permission from his uncle and aunt to leave the States, he'd packed his bags and had been ready to leave the moment the ticket arrived to take him to his mother's home.

_Mom…_ The thought of his mother flashed into his mind, making all the excitement of the trip wane away. _No, got to keep positive! Stay energetic, like a storm cloud!_ Scolding himself for trying to feel sad on such a momentous day, he resumed looking out the window of the plane as the concert in the skies continued to play on.

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><p>The Guardian Beast landed from his flight in the forests near the entrance to the temple that Mithras' scent had come from. Narrowing his eyes, he watched with a mixture of curiosity and fury as he saw black creatures scrambling across the ruins of the building, carrying the bodies of the temple priests to a large pile and dumping them into it. <em>He already has a horde of Imps?<em> _The bastard works fast…_ Steeling himself, he slowly began to inch forwards, his inner curiosity demanding to know just what was going on.

"Well, what do we have here?" a voice from behind questioned in a mocking tone. Before the Guardian could turn around, a heavy weight hit him from behind and sent him flying forwards. Landing on the ground with a hard thud, he turned around to see a reptilian monster wielding a spiked club slowly stalking towards him, its eyes lighting up in surprise at what it saw. "A Guardian Beast, eh? Well, this is just my lucky day! Not only do I get to start my plans for reviving my race, but I get to crush one of the people responsible for our extinction!" With a roar, the reptile ran forwards and slammed his club into the ground where the Guardian had lay just moments before. "Stay still, you mongrel! If you do, I promise that I, Zabon of the Steel Scales, will grant you a peaceful demise." The corners of its mouth twisted up in a sick representation of a smile. "Of course, I wouldn't mind giving you a slow, painful, bloody death either."

"How is a Draconian still alive?" the Guardian questioned, ignoring Zabon's taunts. "I thought the Guardian Beasts extinguished your race after you attempted to create a living hell for this world by burying it in molten earth!" He had to roll to avoid another crushing blow from the Draconian, who sneered at him as the dust settled.

"A living hell for those not fortunate enough to be amongst our number, maybe. But hey, that's the way the world works, isn't it?" Zabon growled as he began an assault of sweeping swipes at the Guardian Beast, who narrowly avoided each of them. "We asked nicely to be given land to expand into but we were denied? By who?" A sudden powerful kick sent the Beast of Lightning sprawling into the dirt. "By the damned Guardian Beasts! _You_ are responsible for my race's extinction, so allow me to do the same to your race." With a growl that was half amusement and half savage desire, he raised his club directly over the Guardian's head, ready to crush it. "Nighty-night, you- GAH!"

As the Guardian Beast let loose a pulse of lightning from his hand, striking the Draconian squarely in his exposed shoulder and sending him reeling backwards, he quickly scrambled to his feet and ran, light enveloping his form as he disappeared again into a ball of electric energy. _I can't fight them, not like this! I need to find a suitable Host, and fast!_

Despite the protection his scales provided him, the blast of electricity was still enough to stun Zabon, who let out a furious roar as he saw his quarry escape him. "Cowardly animal! What happened to the ferocity that your kind is known for? Get back here and show me what it means to be a-"

"Zabon!" The sharp tone of Malrok snapped the Draconian out of his ranting. Turning around, he saw the sorcerer approaching him from across the field, shaking his head. "Lord Mithras could hear your shouts from where he rests, you great brute! Just what is the meaning of this?"

"A Guardian Beast." Zabon growled menacingly, making Malrok stop dead in his tracks. "How?" he hissed. "How is one of the damned Guardian Beasts moving around?! I thought we had collected all of their Cores, or has the past four years been nothing but a scavenger hunt?" He stormed over to the sorcerer and grabbed him by his robes, looking deeply into the void of his hood. "Answer me, you bookworm!"

Though it was hidden by the shadows of his cowl, Malrok was giving his ally the most murderous glare he could muster. With a forceful movement, he shoved Zabon off of him and, as the reptile began to advance towards him, he formed a ball of black and purple energy in the palm of his hand. "You may lead our lord's armies, but remember that I am his right-hand, his aide-de-camp, and chief magician. If I wished it, you would be reduced to a smoldering pile of ash right now." In demonstration, he threw the sphere at a nearby tree. The energy spread across it, hissing and crackling, before bursting into a ball of fire. The Draconian looked towards the charred skeleton of the tree as Malrok looked back towards him. "If you wish to remain as you are, you will stand down right now and return to the temple." Seeing the snarl appear on Zabon's face, he let out a frustrated growl of his own. "If what you say is true, that a Guardian Beast is still alive, then I must make the appropriate adjustments to our plan. Now, I'll ask you again to return to the temple and await further orders."

Gripping his club tightly, Zabon slunk off to the temple, giving Malrok a hateful glare before shoving one of the black figures that was scurrying about the grounds to the ground and stomping down on its chest, crushing it into black smoke. "The things one must put up with in order to achieve their goals… Unbelievable." Malrok sighed and opened his tome. "Now, to ensure we cannot be found again by the Guardian." A ball of dark energy formed in his hand and rapidly expanded, eventually engulfing the entirety of the temple. There was a brief flash and then, nothing. The temple had vanished as though it never existed; the only signs of people ever having been there being the pile of bodies that had been left behind.

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><p>As Lee continued to watch the storm brew, thoughts flew through his head about the new land he was going to visit. <em>Still hard to believe that I'm actually going to Japan. I'm half-expecting my aunt to come into my room and wake me up from this dream.<em> Lightly pinching himself on the arm, he shook his head. _Nope, no dream. This really is my reality._ Settling back in his seat, he began to make the necessary preparations for landing, when something flashed by his window. Curious, he turned his head again as a bright light blinded him and nearly made him fall from his seat.

Images that he'd never seen before were burned into his mind, playing out before his very eyes. A warrior charging towards him as they were fighting amidst a sea of fire, their blades clashing furiously; two men and a woman lying dead on the ground, their metal armor broken and shattered; a terrible monster, similar to a dragon, slowly stalking towards him, a sinister grin on its face. As suddenly as the images had appeared, they vanished, leaving Lee panting as he found himself surprisingly exhausted. _What the hell was that?_ As something flashed passed his window again, he fought against his better judgement and looked out towards the storm.

Amidst the black clouds, he could make out a figure. Its body was black and a mane of golden lightning was flashing around its head. A pair of deep blue eyes stared at him, scrutinizing every part of him. With a roar like thunder, the being vanished, though not before Lee's heart began to try and tear itself out of his chest. Sitting back into his seat, he tried to process everything that he'd just seen, only for more questions to come from his mind. As the plane began to come in for a landing, the only thing that Lee could think was something that should have been impossible had he not just seen it.

_That was a lion in the storm clouds._

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><p>As he came to rest on one of the tall structures that the humans had built in their city, the Guardian Beast looked towards the flying machine he'd seen the young man on with interest. <em>He's the spitting image of him… For a moment, I actually believed that my old Host had returned from the grave.<em> Walking over to the edge of the building, he looked down at the busy streets and frowned. _If I plan on making him my Host, I will need to find a time when he will need my help and accept me._ _But when?_ Sighing, he sat on the ground and laid back, trying to conserve his energy.

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><p>Grabbing what he'd brought with him, a duffel bag and a piece of luggage that pretty much contained the majority of his wardrobe, Lee set out from the airport and took his first few steps out onto Japanese soil. Even though it was somewhat warm, he was glad for the warmth his hoodie provided him as a chill ran down his spine at the sight before him. The city of Yakubo stretched out before him, a beautiful, shining city that had grown strong through years of being used as a port. Surrounding the city were lush forests and far off, one could see the peaks of mountains in the distance. "I suppose Uncle Daisuke really knew how to pick a place to live," he muttered, taking in the view.<p>

"Oi, Lee! Over here!" Turning his head from the amazing sight of the city, Lee saw a man with shoulder length black hair and a goatee coming towards him. He wore a bright orange collared shirt with brown denims. "Good to finally see you!" the man, his Uncle Daisuke if he had to guess, said as he advanced towards him, a smile plastered on his face. Coming to stop in front of him, he looked Lee up and down before letting out a happy sigh. "God, you look so much like your mother… and a bit like your father, I suppose. Don't let that get you down though." He laughed a bit at his own joke before snapping his fingers, as if something had just occurred to him. "Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm your mother's brother, Daisuke Hirayama." He extended his hand for Lee.

"Nice to finally meet you, Uncle Daisuke," Lee said, reaching forwards with his own hand to shake his uncle's. "You already know, but I'm Lee-" As Daisuke suddenly pulled the young man into a firm hug, choking the life out of him, Lee couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable. _I-Is he trying to kill me? Is that why he brought me here?_ "U-Uncle D-Daisuke, while I'm glad to see you too, I can't-"

"Hmm? Oh sorry!" his uncle said, immediately letting go of his red-faced nephew. "Probably shouldn't have reacted like that, but… Well, this is really our first time to meet, aside from one of the few times Kazumi brought you here when you were still a tiny one." A somewhat sad look glazed over his eyes, though he quickly fought it back. "Anyway, we can catch up later. I had to take a cab to get here." He motioned over his shoulder with his thumb towards a yellow car that was idling next to the curb. "We'd better be going. The meter's still running on this guy." With that, he grabbed Lee's suitcase and marched over to the taxi, motioning for Lee to follow him. Smiling to himself, he did just that.

* * *

><p>After taking the cab to the Tengoku Train Station, it had been a short ride to get to Daisuke's apartment, which was located in the Shinai District, Yakubo's business and financial center. The apartment itself was incredibly spacious, offering a view of most of the city through the glass windows of the living room. From what he'd been told, Lee would have his own bedroom and upon seeing it, he was floored; it had to have been at least twice the size of his old room.<p>

"Now, chances are you won't see me there often, but my room's right down the hall," Daisuke told his nephew. "If you ever need me and I'm here- What am I saying? You're a pretty capable young man if what I've heard is true. You probably won't need my help that often." Letting a soft chuckle escape his lips, the elder Hirayama stuck his hands in the pockets of his pants and looked towards his nephew. "So, anything you need to know?"

One thing did come to Lee's mind. Well, two things did, but he didn't dare ask about a lion in the storm clouds. He'd just met his uncle and didn't want him to think he was mental. "Why do you say you won't be around that often? Is it work or…?"

Walking over to the windows, Daisuke smiled. "You see that big building there in the distance?" Lee looked and saw what his uncle was talking about. A decent distance from the apartment, situated in the middle of the city, was a monumental skyscraper. "_That_ is where I work. Most of the time, at least. I'm a pharmaceutical chemist for Everlast. You heard of them?" When Lee shook his head, Daisuke laughed lightly. "Figures you wouldn't have. Everlast is a pharmaceutical giant here in Japan, but we haven't quite made a name for ourselves on the global market. We deal in all sorts of medicines, from antibiotics, to cold medicines, vaccines, prescription medications; pretty much anything that has to do with helping keep people healthy. That reminds me, I need to take you to meet my boss sometime soon."

"Why's that?"

"Masaya Saigo, the president and founder of Everlast, was close friends with your father and mother. When I told him that you were coming to live with me for a while, he practically demanded that I bring you to meet him." Again, a sad look came over the older man's face. "He and Adam practically fought with each other over your mother, and I thought they'd be the worst of enemies when Adam won Kazumi's heart, but he was actually Adam's best man. He… He really loved the two of them." Walking over to sit on the white couch in the living room, he plopped down on it and folded his hands together, leaning forwards in thought. "When he heard about what happened to them… God, I thought I'd taken it hard. He shut down the company for two weeks in mourning, but when he came back, there was a new fire to him. Chances are he realized that they wouldn't want him moping if it meant people were suffering."

"He sounds like a very good man," Lee admitted. It was odd though: Adam Collins, Lee's father, had not once mentioned this Saigo person. _If the two of them really were so close, why didn't Dad talk about him more often? _A memory suddenly flashed through Lee's mind: a man of Asian descent, dressed in mourning attire, standing by the coffins of his parents. _I did see someone at the funeral… Maybe that had been him?_ "Is there any time in particular that he'd like to meet me? I mean, I can't really do it today, but…"

Daisuke raised an eyebrow and stared at his nephew. "Why not? It's your first day here, so what can you have planned?"

Lee blushed lightly and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, I sorta entered into a pen pal program not too long ago and made a friend who lived here. Aya Mizuki, a third-year at the local high school. When she found out I was coming to live here, she pretty much demanded I come meet her the very moment I got here." Pretending to check his phone, he mock-frowned. "And it seems that I might be running a bit late. I hope you don't mind, but-"

Daisuke smiled and held up a hand. "Go. You're still young and you deserve to have a bit of fun. Just don't stay out too late and try to avoid the Seishin District; a lot of bad stuff happens around there." Nodding, Lee rushed past his uncle. "Oh, and one more thing." Stopping as he reached the door, Lee turned around to see his uncle looking at him, a smirk on his face. "Try and remember that this is just the first date. Don't do anything too crazy."

Lee was dumbstruck by what his uncle had just insinuated. Rather than reply, he quickly turned around, trying to hide the spreading blush on his face, and stumbled through the door. Even as he left through the front doors of the complex, he could still hear his uncle's booming laughter in his ears.

* * *

><p>Standing on a roughly constructed platform, Malrok thrust his hand forwards as he addressed the creatures before him. Imps, as they were known, were creatures of pure darkness, with simple minds capable of only following instructions. Thin red veins red across their pitch black bodies and their faces featured only a single crimson eye, planted directly in the center of their heads. "We have captured this temple but it is not enough. If Lord Mithras is truly to rule as the master of this world, he must have a fitting place to rule from. Go now and build this place anew!" The creatures all 'spoke' to one another in their high-pitched, chattering 'language' before going off to do as commanded. As they left to go and do their masters' bidding, Zabon strode up to the sorcerer, his tail twitching angrily.<p>

"We managed to take the temple and the Sealed Door is now unsealed. That's wonderful and all, but what do I do now?" Angrily striking the ground with his club and shattering the floor, he stared up at Malrok with bloodlust in his eyes. "I need some action soon, or I swear I'm going to go berserk!"

Chuckling softly, Malrok jumped from the platform and landed beside his ally. "Calm yourself, my friend. The game has barely begun and yet you already wish for it to go to the end? Please, realize that our plans take time and patience." Realizing that the lizard-man's patience was wearing thin, the sorcerer formed a quick plan. "I have a job for you: spread fear throughout the hearts of the human race. Kill them, maim them, destroy their cities – it matters not how you create the fear. Simply create it so that the process for the Awakening can begin." He paused for a moment, in thought. "There was a decently sized city near the mountains this temple once stood in. It will be the perfect target starting out.

A deep, rumbling laugh erupted from Zabon's maw. "I really, _really_ like the sound of that! I'll take a horde of Imps with me and create carnage the likes of which the humans have never seen! Those lumps of meat won't know what hit them!" Still laughing, he slung his weapon over his shoulder and walked towards a group of Imps. "All of you, fall in! It's high time we taught those humans what fear really is!"

"He should do well enough on his own…" Malrok thought as he watched Zabon smash his club into the ground at his feet, causing a pillar of fire to well up from the ground and consume him and his troops. "Of course, why leave things to chance? Besides, what better opportunity to test my newest spell?" Opening his tome, he looked for the one spell he'd been saving for just this occasion. Beckoning an Imp to come to him, he reached into the folds of his robe and pulled out a small, round crystal. It was greenish-yellow and color and a strange glitter-like substance was inside of it. Placing it in the palm of the Imp's hand, he quickly recited the incantation.

The effects were instantaneous: the jewel melted through the creature's skin, eliciting a cry of pain as it thrashed around in agony. Within moments, changes began to occur as a pair of sickly green wings exploded out of its back. Its red eye became lost within the coarse, light brown hair that covered its body, only to be replaced with a pair of angry, red, segmented eyes. As it walked towards its creator, a faint cloud of yellow dust fell from its wings and onto the ground. Regarding the new creature, Malrok smiled beneath his hood. "Go with Zabon to the human city! Spread fear throughout the hearts and minds of the humans! For the glory of our lord!" He thrust his hand out, creating a swirling dark portal in front of the two of them.

With a piercing shriek, the monster gave a power flap of its wings before taking off and vanishing into the portal, leaving for the unsuspecting people of Yakubo.

* * *

><p>Lee sighed as he read the text he'd gotten from Aya. The very moment that the train had pulled to his stop his phone had gone off. Apparently tired of waiting for him, Aya had gone off to a nearby café to get a quick bite to eat. <em>At least she included some directions. Of course, I have no idea how to get anywhere in this city, so she might as well have not sent any at all<em>. As he tried to make heads or tails of the directions she'd sent him, he didn't notice the tall young man who had been standing in front of him until it was too late.

"Watch it!" the young man snapped as they turned around. It was a teenager of about his age, with a scar on his right cheek and short black hair that had silver streaks died into it. He wore a leather jacket over a shirt featuring a purple grinning demon's face and everything about him, from the way he carried himself to his clothing, screamed either 'dangerous thug' or 'overly-stereotypical thug pretender.' "Who the hell do you think you are, running into me like you've got no sense? Do you even know who I am, you little punk?" The people that had been walking around the station all stopped to watch the events unfold.

_Please tell me this isn't going to go the way I think it is…_ Straightening out his shirt, Lee shook his head. "Sorry, but I really don't. Just got off the plane from the States today." Lee, wanting to avoid any possible confrontation, tried to move past him, only for the punk to bar his way with his arm. "Is there a problem?"

The young man snorted. "Yeah, just a bit. You think you can just run around my city not knowing where to go? The next person you just bump into might not be as forgiving as I am." He pushed Lee back a bit and stared him in the eye. "Where exactly is it that you need to go?"

In the back of his mind, Lee had severe doubts about letting this person know where Aya was. For all he knew, the guy could go and attack her. _No chance in Hell someone's going to get hurt because I let it happen. _"No thanks, I can find it for myself," he insisted. Trying to push past again, the punk again stepped into his past. "Okay, back off now before I make you regret getting in my way."

A fire seemed to light up in the young man's eyes at Lee's words. "You think you're tough stuff just because you're from the States? Let me show you what that kind of attitude will get you around here!" With that, he reared back and sent a hard right directly at Lee. Before he could even blink, the young man found himself lying on the ground, staring up at his opponent, who had his right arm twisted in a painful hold. "W-what just happened?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"You went up against someone who's had a _lot_ of classes," Lee casually replied. Letting go of the kid's arm, he helped him to his feet. "Look, just leave me alone, alright? I can find this place without- Hey!" The young man quickly grabbed Lee's phone and, using his free hand to keep him at bay, read the message. "Give that back!"

"Quiet down for a sec!" he snapped, his eyes not leaving the message. "Man, these directions really suck…" After a few moments, he nodded and handed the phone back to Lee. "From here, go down the road on your right, then take a left at the intersection. You'll find a real big plaza not too far from there," he explained as he straightened out his jacket. "Now, if you'll excuse me." He started to walk past Lee, only to stop. "By the way, the name's Eiji Toriyama. You've got some impressive moves, though I swear you just caught me off guard today. No one beats me that easily." Lee simply rolled his eyes. "Just don't think about causing any trouble in my city, got it?" Without waiting for an answer, Eiji brushed past Lee and vanished into the crowd of people.

Shaking his head, Lee left the station, unaware that a pair of eyes had been watching the entirety of the confrontation and they had been very impressed with what they saw.

* * *

><p>When he finally did reach the plaza that Eiji had directed him to, Lee was surprised and a bit upset when he saw no hints of a café anywhere nearby. <em>These were the directions she sent me, so where is Aya?<em> After wandering around aimlessly for a few minutes, and getting no shortage of strange stares from the locals, he gave up and slumped down onto a bench. "I really hope she has a good reason for tricking me like this…" he muttered.

"Oh, I did," a voice from behind said, startling him and making him fall off the bench. "It was _hilarious_ to watch you wander around this place like that." Looking up, he saw a girl a couple of years younger than him wearing a mischievous smile on her face. Her hair was done up in a ponytail and there were various streaks of red running through it. She wore a dark red shirt and plain jeans and held a red cell phone in her hands. "What, you don't know who I am? I'm hurt, Leonard Steven Collins-Hirayama," she said with a mock pout.

"Aya!" Lee cried, getting to his feet hastily. "It's great to finally meet you, though…" He frowned and scrutinized her, folding his arms against his chest. "Hmmm…."

"What is it?" Aya asked, stepping around the bench to get closer to him.

Lee shrugged. "Somehow I thought you'd be cuter in person." Aya looked at him, her expression changing from shock to anger and then burst out laughing as she saw the playful look on his face. Lightly shoving him back, she sat down on the bench in front of him.

"So, what should we do? I mean, what do _you_ want to do, since this is your first day here and all."

Lee shrugged and shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. "I really don't know. Maybe we could-" Any further thoughts were stopped by the sudden terrified screams that came from the people in the plaza. Looking past Aya, Lee's eyes widened. _That's the monster I saw! From that… that vision!_ The reptilian monster joyfully shoved people to the ground, laughing as they screamed in pain in fear. Surrounding it were black figures with red veins running all across their bodies. These creatures all carried red swords that had viciously curved blades that they wove around, terrorizing the people around them as they began to corral them. The moment a group of people had been gathered, another monster, resembling a giant moth/human hybrid, fell from the sky and let some form of dust fall from its wings. When the dust touched them, the people stopped screaming in fear and began to scream in anger, tearing past the monsters and running towards other humans and attacking them.

"Oh my God, what are those things?!" Aya screamed as she saw what Lee had been staring at. As the words left her mouth, a group of the black beasts broke off from the main horde and charged the pair. "Get away!" Aya stumbled back as the monsters began to advance on them, falling down onto the hard pavement. As one of the creatures raised its sword to attack her, it was suddenly knocked to the ground by a brutal kick to the chest. "Lee?"

"Get the hell away from her!" Lee shouted as he stood between his friend and the monsters. One of them charged at him, its weapon raised. Ducking under its arm, Lee delivered a hard punch to the small of its back before grabbing it by its arm and flipping it over his shoulder. He cringed slightly as pain set in from the punch; the monsters had strong skin. Another pair of them charged, letting out high-pitched squeals. In response, he bent down to deliver a strike to one's stomach with his elbow, knocking it back, before jumping up and delivering an uppercut with his left hand. Hearing Aya scream again, he saw that one of the monsters had gotten past him and was trying to grab her. With an angry roar, he jumped at it and threw it off of her, delivering a sharp kick to its chest for good measure.

"Not bad, for a human." A sudden, fiery explosion knocked Lee off of his feet and sent him through the air. He landed hard on his shoulder, causing something to pop. A reptilian hand suddenly clutched around his shirt collar before he was lifted into the air. "But you're still just a human!" The monster let out a growl as he threw the young man to the ground and proceeded to stomp on his chest. "Aren't you afraid? Why don't I smell any fear coming from you?!" Angrily, the creature kicked Lee's side with its clawed foot, making him roll against the ground.

"Stop it!" Aya cried, scrambling to her feet. She ran up to the monster and attempted to hit it, only for her hand to bounce off its armored hide. She cradled her injured hand as its tail suddenly snaked around her legs and constricted. She let out a yelp of surprise as she was suddenly lifted into the air. "Let me go!" she demanded.

"Shut it, human!" the monster snarled. "This world belongs to Lord Mithras!"

"Let go of her!" Scrambling to his feet, despite his injuries, Lee charged the monster and reared back his fist. Digging into every ounce of strength he had, he let loose the best punch he could throw, directly into the monster's stomach.

It had no effect other than making the monster laugh. Dropping Aya to the ground, it grabbed Lee again by his throat. "You may not be producing any fear, but you've been entertaining at the very least. But I'm afraid that all good things must come to an end!" With a roar, it threw Lee across the plaza, where he landed against the fountain with a loud crack. "Goodbye, human!"

As Lee struggled to keep his eyes open from the pain, he saw a ball of flame hurtling right towards him. _I'm sorry… Mom… Dad… I wasn't strong enough…_ Closing his eyes to await the inevitable, he didn't see the crackling gold ball that flew into the path of the fireball and absorbed it.

* * *

><p>"Awake, child."<p>

His eyes snapped open as his heart began to beat furiously. _How am I not dead? I should be nothing but a small pile of ash!_ Slowly getting to his feet, Lee quickly took in his surroundings. He was in a large cavern, the walls ringed with golden stalactites. Bolts of electricity arced between them, spasmodically lighting up the area with blinding flashes of light, though they didn't cause Lee's eyes any pain. In the middle of the cavern, standing proudly on a raised patch of ground, was a creature Lee had thought he had imagined.

It was the lion that he'd seen in the storm. Its fur was a deep gold with streaks of black running through it. The mane was black as the clouds of the storm he'd first seen it in, though sparks of golden electricity jumped from its hairs and danced around it. Its eyes were an electric blue and there were patches of black fur beneath them that resembled bolts of lightning. There seemed to be a proud and powerful aura about the creature, one that Lee felt the full force of as it stared at him.

"You require strength, do you?" The young man's mouth opened in surprise as the lion's mouth opened and words came from it. "Those were your thoughts before I intervened. You said that you were not strong enough, correct?" The lion tilted its head in curiosity. "Tell me: why do you require such strength? For personal gain and benefit? To defend yourself against those that would do you harm? For what reason does one such as yourself require strength?"

Lee lowered his eyes and clenched his fists. "I can't protect anyone if I'm not strong enough…" he muttered. The lion raised an eyebrow at the young man's words. "For most of my life, I've done nothing but train to get stronger, smarter, and better in everything I can be, so that I could protect anyone that I needed to." His fists unclenched as a sad sigh escaped his lips. "But in the end, it didn't matter: I failed." A soft chuckle came from in front of him, making him look up and glare angrily at the beast before him. "And just what part of that is so funny to you? The part where I failed because I wasn't strong enough or the part where innocent people are going to be hurt because I wasn't strong enough?"

"It has been so long since I've met one such as you," the lion said simply. "A person who believes it is their sole duty to this world to protect any and all who need it – you are a dying breed, Lee Collins." A sudden cry of pain escaped the creature as it stumbled forwards. "As am I, I fear…" Looking up at him with its eyes, which had turned from blue to gold, it spoke. "Listen to my words and listen well: a dark threat has come upon your land, one that I battled long ago. I had thought it defeated but I realize that I failed, somehow. If I could, I would go now and destroy it with my bare hands. Sadly, my power has faded over the centuries and now I stand before you near death's doors. As you are as well." Standing back up to its full height, the lion let out a deep growl. "However, if you agree to be my Host, I can prevent both of our deaths and grant you the strength you so desire. In return, I only ask that you aid me in battling the darkness I fought so long ago."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Lee asked. Suddenly, the form of the lion changed: it was now a warrior clad in golden armor, a helmet shaped like a lion's head staring down at him with azure eyes set into a mask. "What are you?" he asked in awe of the sheer power he could feel coming from the creature.

"I am a Guardian Beast, one of many protectors of this world. I am the Spirit of Lightning, uncontrollable and ferocious. I strike down all who would harm this world with my swift power. If you will accept my offer, all of that power shall be yours." The warrior's body began to glow with a blinding light as it extended its hand towards the young man. "Do you accept? Or will you allow the world to be coated in darkness?"

Lee looked at the hand, unsure. "I want to be able to keep those close to me safe…" Closing his eyes, he saw the faces of his uncle and Aya in front of him. They slowly faded away and were replaced by his mother and father. _I won't allow myself to be weak! Never again!_ Opening his eyes, he grasped the warriors hand with his. "I accept! Spirit of Lighting, grant me your power!" he shouted as the golden light of the warrior enveloped both of them and the world faded away.

* * *

><p>Aya stared in shock at the billowing flames that took up the place where her friend had been moments before. <em>He's gone… Lee's… dead…<em> Tears began to run down her face as she struggled to her feet. "How could you do that?! Why?!" she screamed at the monster, who chuckled at his handiwork.

"It was fun," it answered simply. Looking towards the horde of savage humans and the moth monster, bellowing laughter came from his throat. "This is a testament to the power of Lord Mithras! This is what will happen to all who oppose his rule!" Turning on her, the monster snarled. "And you shall soon learn that humans no longer have a place in this world. Now, give me the fear I so desire." It began advancing on her, its club raised and ready to attack, when a loud roar split the air and silenced all around. _I-It can't b-be…_ Slowly, the Draconian turned his head, his eyes widening in shock and anger at what he saw. "What?! I killed you! How are you…?"

"Silence, Zabon!" a voice commanded. The fire vanished as Lee and a large, golden lion stepped from them, which shocked Aya, though she was even more surprised when the lion spoke. "Mithras' foolish plans end now, as does your savagery." The lion turned its head to Lee. "Now, I grant you the strength you so desired. Use it and defeat our enemies!" With a roar, the lion turned into a ball of golden light that shot into Lee's chest. At the same time, a black belt materialized around his waist, golden lines running through it. On the front was the golden head of a lion, its jaw and eyes closed.

Raising his right hand to the sky and bringing his left hand across his chest, Lee closed his eyes and took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. His entire expression changed as his eyes snapped open, now a burning gold. A fierce, almost feral look was on his face as he quickly moved his left arm away and held it out to his side as his right hand fell down and struck the jaw of the lion.

"_HENSHIN!_"

With a roar, the lion's mouth and eyes opened. Azure light seemed to pour from its eyes as a wall of golden energy materialized in front of Lee. Slowly, the wall came over his body, changing it as it touched him. Soon, he wore an all-gold suit of armor. His torso was covered by armor modeled after a roaring lion, its blue eyes piercing through all who it saw, and pauldrons shaped like a lion's claws covered his shoulders. His forearms and shins had bracers and guards covering them, though his left arm was covered by a thick gauntlet that had three claws jutting from it. Beneath all of it was a solid black bodysuit that seemed to be just as strong as the armor. His helmet faintly resembled the head of a lion and had two piercing blue eyes that appeared to be segmented like a bugs and a silver faceguard rested beneath them, shaped to look like a lion's open maw with black filling the void between the teeth.

Clenching his left hand into a fist, Lee thrust it forwards as an unbelievable energy began to flow through his body. "I am the Golden Warrior of Lightning, RaiLeon! Hear my roar!"

"I don't care what you call yourself, because I'm about to burn you to ash!" Zabon declared as fire began to spew from his mouth. Rearing his head back, he unleashed a flurry of fireballs. Lee ran forwards, his left arm reared back and readied to strike, and managed to avoid the onslaught. When he was finally within striking distance, he struck out with his fist, the air around it crackling with electricity. There was an audible crack as the punch made contact with Zabon's chestplate and knocked him back. A large chunk of the metal had been cracked and parts of it were falling off as he watched in shock. "You… cracked my armor?" Looking up at the Warrior, he snarled. "Don't think this is the end! Imps, destroy him now!" the General commanded as he slammed his club into the ground, causing a pillar of flame to devour him.

Lee ran forwards to stop him, only for the moth monster and the small creatures known as Imps to jump in his path. _He got away!_

"_It is still a victory, and one that any Guardian Beast would be proud to have achieved," _the lion's voice echoed from inside Lee's head. _"Now, time to finish what Mithras started."_

"Got it." Lee looked down at his hands and grinned beneath his helmet. "I can feel this power coursing through me. It's about time we tested it out!" Running forwards, he delivered a sharp blow to one of the Imps, knocking it back before leaping at another and dropping it with a kick to the chest. As the black creatures began to swarm him, he lashed out with his gauntlet and noted with satisfaction that it cut straight through their hides. A sudden feeling came over him, causing him to raise his right hand into the air. A bolt of lightning shot down and struck it, forming an orb of energy. Pulling his hand from it, he stared at the weapon that had been formed with some surprise.

It was a scimitar-like weapon, with a long, black blade with gold at the edges. The hand guard was modeled after the head of a lion with its mouth open. Giving it a test swing, he found that it was surprisingly light and felt comfortable in his hands. _Another of your powers?_

The lion chuckled. _"Consider it a gift as well."_

"I like it!" Brandishing his new sword, Lee charged into the Imps in front of him, the blade of his weapon flashing with each swing. The creatures fell in droves, black smoke being all that remained of them as he destroyed them one by one. Suddenly, he was gripped from behind and, turning his head, he was annoyed to see the moth monster had grabbed him and was attempting to drag him into the air. "Hey, back it off pal!" he shouted, elbowing it in the face before turning around and kicking it squarely in the chest. It stumbled back into the remaining Imps, who all squealed in anger at him. "Too many to deal with at once…" he muttered. Again, a sudden instinct came over him, telling him exactly what to do. "So, I'll take them all out with one blow!" Bringing the hilt of the sword to the front of the belt, a pulse of energy shot through the blade as the belt roared. He ran the tip of the scimitar in a circular pattern through the air, creating a ring of electricity that quickly solidified into a sphere. Jumping up, he spun forwards and kicked the attack directly at them.

"Lightning Shoot!" he called.

The moth monster, realizing the danger it was in, spread its wings and took to the skies as the sphere crashed into the Imps, destroying all of them in a massive explosion of lightning. "That leaves the annoying one." Lee said, watching as the moth creature circled him from above. It dove towards him, only to be knocked to the ground as he punched it with his gauntlet, the claws tearing through its skin. Rising quickly to its feet, it shrieked before slashing at him with its sharp claws wildly. He dodged the strikes and countered with one of his own, charging past it as his weapon cut through its left wing and severed it. Plunging his sword into the ground, he looked at the moth creature as it struggled to stand, the pain of losing one of its wings too much to bear.

"_End this fight now!"_

"Not a problem." he replied casually as yet another 'instinct' ran through his mind. Bringing his hand down to the mouth of the lion, he flicked its mouth closed before reopening it. A roar came from it as energy began to surge through his body.

"**Lightning Charge!"**

Crouching low to the ground, Lee let the energy engulf him as a golden, lion-shaped aura covered his body. With a powerful jump, he leapt high into the air as the energy trailed behind him. At the height of his jump, he turned and aimed his right leg downwards in a kick, directly at the monster. As he came closer to making contact, the aura focused around his leg until it changed into a roaring lion's head. The construct bit down on the monster as his leg made contact, causing it to shriek with pain as it flew back and onto the ground. As Lee slowly stood back up from the finisher, the monster let out a single defeated cry before exploding, leaving a cloud of black dust and a small jewel behind.

"_Lee, grab that jewel!"_ the Guardian Beast commanded. Nodding, Lee ran over to it and picked it up, noting the odd warmth of the crystal. _"So, that really was her Core I sensed… Lee, what you hold in your hand at this very moment is a Core of a Guardian Beast. I have no idea how Mithras got his hands on them, but it seems he has begun to use them to create a new legion of monsters."_

"A new legion that we'll stop." Closing the mouth of the lion, Lee watched as the armor fell from his body, changing into tiny, golden sparks. Taking a quick look around the plaza, he noted with no small degree of satisfaction that all of the people had calmed down and no longer seemed to be acting crazy. "Did stopping that monster do that?"

"Most likely." Lee turned his head and started as he saw that the Guardian Beast was sitting down next to him in its animal form. "Do not be alarmed by this form; no one will be able to see me if I choose for them not to-"

"That was incredible!" Aya said as she ran up to the two of them. "The two of you- you just beat that monster so easily!"

The lion recoiled. "Wha- You can see me?!" Aya nodded, leading to it lowering its head and narrowing its eyes. "How…? No one else can, so how…?" it muttered under its breath.

"I don't see what you're so down about. Aya's a pretty trustworthy person and she's a friend of mine." Lee said. Looking towards Aya, he frowned. "Are you alright? Zabon didn't hurt you did he?"

She raised an eyebrow. "The lizard thing? Other than a few scrapes and bruises, nothing that won't be healed up within a day or so," she answered casually. "Anyways, Lee, you and Leo did fantastically! I don't think I've- no, I've never seen _anything_ like that before."

The lion coughed before looking up at her. "Did you just call me 'Leo'?" When she nodded, it bared its fangs. "Child, I am not a house cat! I am the proud and powerful untamed Spirit of Lightning! My very appearance is enough to make anyone cower before me! Do not give me such an insulting name simply because I am a lion!" it growled.

"Whatever Leo…" she said, rolling her eyes. Ignoring the glare it gave her, she looked at Lee. "So… what do we do now?" The sudden rumbling of Lee's stomach answered the question for him. Laughing, she grasped her embarrassed friend's arm in her hand and began pulling him along. "Come on! There's a great place to eat around here! It's my treat." Turning her head, she looked back at 'Leo.' "You too, Leo! I'll see if we can't get a doggy-bag for you."

Ignoring 'Leo's' indignant roars as to how he was not a house pet, Lee smiled as he followed his friend. _My first day here, and I get to become a super hero. I can already tell this is going to be interesting. _Looking at the sky, his smile broadened.

_Mom, Dad, I'll make you proud._

* * *

><p><strong><em>And so, the first Chapter of the new - and hopefully improved in the eyes of you, the readers - RaiLeon is here! I won't deny the fact that it's very similar to the original Chapter 1, but honestly I felt that the original version did work well, it just needed a bit of polishing. And additional scenes, if that large word count is anything to go by.<br>_**

**_So, what can you expect from the new RaiLeon? Well, from the little preview of a future Chapter I gave you all on Tuesday, we can be certain that there's... something that's going to end up fighting both Hell Beasts and Riders. You can also expect more Chapters focused towards the development of the characters, and possibly some that won't even have any Rider action. Don't worry though,those will be few and far between, so if it's not your cup of tea you won't have to worry about too many of them._**

**_Hopefully you've all enjoyed the new Chapter 1, and I hope you'll be sticking around to see the new, original Chapter 2 that I'm working on and all future Chapters. I apologize to everyone who may have been upset that I deleted the old story, but I hope you can come to enjoy this story just as much as you did the original._**

**_Well, with all that being said, I'd like to thank everyone who read this for taking the time to give this story a read. If you'd be so kind as to leave a review, it would be greatly appreciated. Regardless of whether you do or don't, I hope you all have a wonderful day._**


	2. Chapter 2

**Episode 2: A Warrior's Responsibilities**

Sitting in an office at the top of Everlast Tower, Lee shifted awkwardly in his chair, still feeling uncomfortable in the suit that his uncle had provided him for the day – the blasted thing had apparently been Daisuke's when he had been his age, and it was too big in some places and too small in others! _I really wish I'd taken him up on that offer to go buy a suit,_ Lee thought glumly, _but no, I just couldn't have asked for that, could I have?_ A small sigh escaped his lips, which did not go unnoticed by his uncle.

"Lee, I already told you, Mr. Saigo will be here in a few moments. He called and said that he would be running a little late for the meeting," said Daisuke, not picking up on the true sense of his nephew's discomfort. "Trust me, I'm sure he's just as upset that he's late as you are. You should have heard him on the phone when I called him and said I was going to bring you here to meet him – I had to keep him from sending over his own personal car!" Daisuke chuckled and adjusted the tie and collar of his own suit. His face turned solemn as he turned his thoughts to his sister and her husband, his brother-in-law. "You're really the only link he has left to them, Lee, so I hope you too can get along. Did you know he was actually the one who paid for your trip here?"

"He actually did that?" Lee asked, shocked out of his own thoughts. He'd had no idea that his coming to Japan had all been based on this Masaya Saigo's generosity. Until now, he thought his uncle had managed to pay for it himself. "He really went through all that trouble just to be able to meet me…?

Daisuke nodded and smiled, leaning back in his chair with his hands folded behind his head. "Trust me, for Mr. Saigo, it was easy. The entire city of Yakubo basically owes him and Everlast its very existence. This was where he grew up when he was a kid, and by the time he'd formed Everlast the town was falling apart, so in he comes with a suitcase full of cash, a team of construction workers, and his own determination. The man single-handedly managed to turn this town around in all of two years."

"Ah, I don't believe I did it single-handedly, but I won't deny everything you said, Daisuke!"

As amusing as it was to see his uncle nearly fall out of his chair in surprise, Lee still found himself more compelled to look at the man who was standing in the doorway. He wore a steel gray suit with a red tie, the emblem of Everlast stamped on it in black: a circle made of DNA. His black hair was combed back, and he was starting to show signs of graying around his temples. His eyes, though, held a certain charisma to them, and his posture and style of walk made it seem as though he was coming into a room full of old friends, ready to discuss the past few years of their lives. "That'll be all for now, Junkichi. You may go now."

The man who had been standing behind him, clad in an all-black suit, nodded the affirmative. He was much taller than most Japanese men, standing well over six feet, causing him to cut a very imposing figure. The hair that had been gelled back to his neck and the black sunglasses that covered his eyes only added to the intimidation factor, Lee thought. "Very well. I'll be in the car should you need me." Reaching into the front pocket of his suit, Lee involuntarily tensed up as the man pulled out…

_Isn't that one of those magical girl manga?_ Lee wondered, seeing the colorful front cover of the book the man was now reading. There was a large smile on the man's face as he walked away, closing the door as he left. _Well, there goes the intimidation factor._ "So, this young man is the child of my two closest friends!" the CEO of Everlast said as he strode across the room towards them, his arms held out to his sides.

Lee nodded, then got out of his chair and bowed. "Yes sir. I'm Lee- I mean, Leonard Steven-"

"Come now, I know your name already Lee! There's no need to introduce yourself to me, so stand up straight!" Masaya declared, with Lee immediately following his word. To his surprise, the man clamped his hands down on his shoulders and stared at him intensely, like he was trying to take in every single last detail. "Incredible… I can see both Adam and Kazumi in you. It's a pity you took so much after your father though!" The man chuckled at his joke and released Lee, walking past him to Daisuke. "And Daisuke, I can hardly thank you enough for giving me the idea to bring young Lee here over the sea so I could finally meet him. I assure you, if there are any additional expenses brought on you by him being here, I will pay them myself, in full!"

Daisuke's mouth opened and closed repeatedly, and he almost forgot to breathe. "I- Sir, I appreciate the offer, but there's no need for you to go so far for Lee and I!" Lee silently agreed, though in the back of his mind he was beginning to wonder if his living with his uncle actually was putting any financial strain on the man. Before he could even consider to voice this thought, Masaya loudly clapped his hands together.

"Nonsense!" he said in a booming voice. Stepping away from them and towards the windows that gave a beautiful view of both the city and the surrounding area, he clasped his hands behind his back. "While I do not take sole credit for the revitalization of my home, I will not deny that I and Everlast both aided in its revival! This company, the company that I built with my own two hands, was a creation which both Adam and Kazumi supported in full. They encouraged me every step of the way until I reached where I stand now, and without them I would never have found the success that I have and my beautiful home would be little more than a ghost town." Turning back to face the two of them, he smiled warmly. "I owe this company and my success to Adam and Kazumi, and I shall be damned for eternity before I allow any member of their family to go without aid, not if I can help it."

If Daisuke had been stunned by Masaya's offer, then Lee was absolutely floored by what the man had just declared. _He really cares that much…? I… I just can't believe that this… this man is willing to do so much for me and Uncle Daisuke._ Finally finding his voice, Lee managed to choke out, "Thank you, Mr. Saigo-"

"Please, don't call me that – call me Masaya, please."

"O-Okay, Masaya," Lee gulped nervously before continuing, still completely taken off guard by this man, "and I promise that both my uncle and myself will keep your offer in mind; we just don't want to take advantage of your generosity. I mean, you've already paid for my flight here; for me, there's nothing more you could really do. Honestly, I don't think I can thank you enough for giving me the chance to come here to Japan."

"Just a shame you had to come when you did," Daisuke sighed from beside him. "Man, I still can't get over what I heard on the news yesterday."

"Yes, the monster attack." Masaya's face turned grim and he looked over his shoulder, down towards Yakubo. "To think, monsters actually exist. And of all the places to attack, they choose my home, my glorious home. I think Junkichi was just as surprised as I was; according to him, monster attacks are only supposed to happen in Tokyo." He chuckled weakly at his joke before turning back to face the tow Hirayama's and sighed bitterly. "Unfortunately, due to yesterday's events, both the members of the board and Junkichi have recommended that I put off what I had planned for today for another time, and while I don't really care what the board has to say, Junkichi has been a good friend for quite some time and I can't really help but listen to his advice. I was so looking forwards to taking you on a personal tour of Yakubo, Lee, but I'm afraid it will have to wait until another day."

Lee shrugged. "I guess that's just life… Though I don't remember monster attacks happening back home, so maybe it isn't." As Masaya laughed at Lee's joke – and Lee mentally noted just how easy it seemed to make this man laugh – the young man inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. _I promised Aya and Leo, that I'd meet them at the park._ Glancing at a nearby clock, Lee winced as he saw he was already thirty minutes late.

It had only been a day since Lee had taken on the mantle of RaiLeon, and despite how quickly he acted in beating the moth monster, the damages that it, Zabon, and those black creatures – Imps, Lee reminded himself – had caused still had to be repaired, and several people had been hospitalized, either from monster attacks or from other people who had gone mad from the moth's dust. Earlier this morning Leo had practically ordered Lee to come with him so that they could train for future battles and so Leo could further explain the situation.

Lee had never been quite as scared as he had been that morning when he told Leo that he already had plans that couldn't be canceled that day.

After Leo's immense lightning-fueled tantrum, Aya had called, wanting to hang out. When he'd told her that he would be busy, she had been upset, until he let slip that Leo was going to talk about just who or what he was, and just who this 'Mithras' was. She immediately asked where and when it was going to happen, and, despite Leo protesting loud enough for Aya to hear over the phone, Lee had managed to make plans to meet up with them at twelve in a park that was relatively close to where yesterday's incident had occurred. He would be a little late at this rate, but he doubted that they'd be too mad.

"Of course, that doesn't mean I can't take you both out to eat at my favorite restaurant in town!"

Or, he could be in deep trouble with the both of them.

Grimacing as Masaya led both of them out of the office, Lee could only imagine what Aya and Leo were doing right now.

* * *

><p>"So these… These 'cellular phones,' they allow you humans to talk with each other as if you were standing beside the other person?"<p>

"Well, yeah pretty much, but they've also got a lot of other features. You can text each other, you can search the internet, watch videos, take pictures and videos, and play all kinds of games on them. They're really kinda cool!"

"Hmm… It seems as if you humans have just gotten lazier in the past few hundred years. A Guardian Beast would never allow themselves to be taken in by such a device. Such behavior would be disgraceful to our very name. Good to see that not much has changed, though; you humans always were something of a lazy bunch, using all of your abilities to make your own lives easier."

"Hey! …I'm not that lazy!"

"We shall see about that, though I doubt you will change my opinion. Now, about this 'internet,' I have one question: what kind of net is it?"

* * *

><p>Malrok sighed wistfully as he looked around the Vault. It was a large cavern, with shelves dug into the sides of the wall. Lining the shelves were various Cores, all giving off different colors of light. As his eyes scanned over them all, he paused when he came to one empty spot, formerly the home of the Moth Guardian Beast's Core.<p>

"Of course things would become complicated, wouldn't they?" he asked aloud. No response came; he didn't expect one, really. "It took me years, damnable decades, to collect all of these damnable Cores, and now, not only have I lost one, I've found that a living Guardian Beast has managed to escape my sight." He clutched at the tome in his hand tightly, anger beginning to build in his chest. "Our plans have only just begun; allowing this… _RaiLeon_ to continue interfering would bring Lord Mithras nothing but trouble!"

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers. Immediately two Cores flew into his hand: one black as the night, with silver light radiating from it, and the other light tan mixed with dark green. Nodding in approval at his choices, he turned away, and began to exit the room.

"_**Malrok…"**_

"Lord Mithras!" The sorcerer froze in surprise, his back arching stiffly. Slowly turning on his heel, he saw a swirling black cloud materialize in the middle of the room, a red, eye-shaped jewel embedded in the center. Immediately he knelt down, crossing one arm over his chest. "Milord, I am your humble servant. To what do I owe the honor of being addressed by yourself personally?" Despite his words, Malrok could feel the panic welling inside of him. His worst fear was starting to catch up with him. He had not been granted permission to take the Cores from the Vault, but had only done so in order to ensure his Lord Mithras' prosperity. Surely Lord Mithras understood why he was taking the two Cores?

"_**I assume the two Cores that you have taken just now are for some plan of yours, aren't they?"**_ Mithras' voice was slightly distorted by the cloud, though the cold, calculating tone that he always held could still be heard clear as day. _**"Tell me: does this have anything to do with the recent reappearance of the Lion Guardian Beast?"**_

"I felt it was imperative to act immediately, before this RaiLeon character is able to delay our plans."

"_**Do you believe that he is capable of doing so? Or perhaps you doubt my ability to handle the Guardian Beast and his Host should the time come…"**_

"Never, milord!" Malrok felt a pulse of fear run through his body as he realized what he had insinuated. "I have no doubts in my mind that you could crush RaiLeon with only an ounce of your power should the time come; I merely wish to end him now, so that we might be able to continue with our plans immediately."

The cloud was silent, with the eye-shaped jewel staring down at the sorcerer as if it were judging him. A deep, rumbling chuckle made Malrok lift his head, if only slightly. _**"Actions speak far louder than words, Malrok. I understand what it is you desire to accomplish, though I only have one question for you."**_ The cloud moved closer to Malrok, and the sorcerer recoiled instinctively. _**"Do you know who it was who managed to mortally wound me centuries ago, ending my conquest and forcing me into slumber?"**_ A choking sound escaped Malrok's throat as realization struck. _**"Take care in facing this one. I do not doubt the danger this RaiLeon may possess, and I have very few doubts that should he be allowed to gain more strength, he could very well become a true threat to my plans."**_

"Then should we not act now, milord? Should we not end him before he has the chance?"

_**Patience, my sorcerer." **_Mithras chuckled. _**"I do not deny what I have said to be true – I can easily foresee RaiLeon becoming a threat. Yet as it stands he is nothing more than a child learning to use his abilities. I shall allow him to continue to fight his meaningless battles; the moment I feel he has become a danger to my plans, I shall personally crush him." **_The cloud backed away from Malrok, wisps of smoke starting to come off of it. _**"For now, I will allow both you and Zabon to attempt to destroy him yourself. Consider it a bit of friendly competition to inspire fiercer devotion towards the cause."**_

"A-as you command, Lord Mithras," Malrok said with a low bow. The jeweled eye flashed, and the cloud vanished into wispy threads of black smoke. Still somewhat shaken, Malrok rose to his full height and looked appraisingly at the two Cores in his hand. "I cannot begin to understand why Lord Mithras would simply allow the Guardian Beast and its Host to continue living… but if he has chosen not to interfere directly, I shall not question his choice." Clutching the Cores tightly, the sorcerer brought his tome to his chest and exited the Vault, the massive doors slamming shut behind him.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere in Mithras' fortress, the Emperor's throne room was completely silent, save for the crackling of fires. Torchlight lit the room, sconces connected to black pillars that led the way up to the throne itself. Hanging on the wall behind the throne was the black banner that heralded Mithras himself; emblazoned upon it in red was an open eye set inside of what appeared to be an upside down, stylized Y. Upon the throne itself was the Emperor of All He Sees, Mithras.<p>

His body was covered in armor, the only openings on it at the helmet, where his eyes gazed out. Metal boots and leg metal covered his lower half, with black metal breaking it up at the knee; from his lower legs, just before the knee, a plate of metal extended out at an angle, tapering off to a point. His torso was clad in crimson, with the sides being completely black. Connected to the place where his shoulders met his body were curved plates of metal, with intricate designs carved into them. His arms were, again, completely clad in crimson armor, with the elbows being black. His hands, however, were covered in black metal; only the backs of his hands, up to his fingers, held any red. The helmet that donned his head had five horns crowning it: the two furthest from the sides curved outward slightly before returning inwards, while the centermost stood straight up. The two in between were shorter and straight light the centermost. His eyes were two small yellow lights that shone out from within the black void of his helmet.

Said eyes were currently focused on one of the hundreds of screens that filled the throne room, each formed from the same black smoke as the Eyes of Mithras that were showing him the images portrayed in each screen. The Eyes were a symbol of pride to him, and they had been undoubtedly important in his previous attempt at conquest. No one save for those he allowed to could see them, allowing him to see battlefields, war rooms, secret meetings – anything that may have proved of importance to him. They held other abilities as well, though the most important to him was their ability to reliably gather information for him.

Now, though, only two caught his active interest. One portrayed the young Host, sitting in a fancy restaurant in clear discomfort that somehow went unnoticed by the two older men sitting at the table with him, their meal just now coming to a close. "Still so young, and yet you've chosen to take up such a difficult role: that of a warrior. There are very few who would do so. What makes you different from the rest, Host?" His eyes strayed to the men sitting beside him. One seemed of little importance, and due to the familiarity that the young Host spoke with towards the man, Mithras assumed him to be of familial relation. The other, however, was a man who seemed to make both others slightly uncomfortable, which in conjunction with the sheer amount of confidence the man held in his tone and posture – as well as the fact that it appeared he was the one paying for the rather lavish meal – led Mithras to believe this was a man of power. "He seems to know the Host, and looks to be of some importance. I shall keep an Eye on him."

And with a flick of his wrist, Mithras indeed created another of his Eyes that began to float behind the man, another screen forming in the air.

Deciding he had seen enough of the Host, Mithras turned his attention to the other screen that had held his interest. It showed a young woman, dressed in red and white, talking to the Lion Guardian Beast. Not directly, of course – a lion sitting in the middle of a public area would no doubt cause quite the panic, and Mithras noted with some amusement that the young woman was speaking into her phone and was avoiding looking directly at the Guardian Beast. Still, he couldn't help but focus on the girl with interest. She was an anomaly, and Mithras always had a faint curiosity for those sorts of things that didn't quite line up in the grander scheme.

It was rare that a normal human could see a Guardian Beast, unless it purposefully revealed itself to them. Occasionally, a human would be capable of catching glimpses of a Guardian Beast in the edges of their vision, or they would see the residual energy a Beast Core released as it hibernated: phantom images that the human mind would somehow rationalize into ethereal shapes that resembled the human figure. In other words, ghosts.

Funnily enough, it had actually been these reports of these 'ghosts' appearing around the world that had led Malrok to finding and claiming a good majority of the Cores currently in their possession.

Still, it was rare for a human to be able to clearly see a Guardian Beast fully, such as this young woman. Such men and women rarely were seen as sane in days long past, when the Guardian Beasts were much greater in number and roamed the lands more freely, and fewer still found themselves able to cope with seeing these beings of fantastic might wandering about. _Perhaps_, Mithras mused, _in some form of twisted irony, I have done a great service to humanity by defeating the Guardian Beasts. With so few able to be seen, the few humans with this gift are unable to be overwhelmed. _A chuckle escaped him. _Though I doubt any history of my deeds would agree with this view._

He forced any musings from his mind as something flickered in the image. Immediately he held up a hand, stopping the image. "Go back," he ordered, and the Eye obeyed. Its memory of the past few moments began to play again, and Mithras scrutinized every moment with a fervent intensity, his eyes darting about the images on the screen until-

"Incredible."

-he found what he was looking for.

It occurred only for a moment, but he had seen it. He replayed what had been happening on the screen in his mind's eye: the girl had been talking to the Guardian Beast, when the Beast had said something that had offended the girl, if the look on her face meant anything. At that moment, a faint red glow, barely visible, had wrapped itself around her clenched hand.

Mithras studied the image, his mind storing all of this information someplace where he would be able to reach it in the future. "It would appear that the young Host has made interesting friends," he noted, eyes fixated on the girl. "I shall be keeping watch over you for the time being. You may just prove to be more than you believe yourself to be."

* * *

><p>Lee shuddered involuntarily as he sat on his bed, a feeling of imminent dread overtaking him. <em>Oh, I am dead when Leo gets ahold of me… and then Aya's going to pulverize whatever's left of my spirit.<em> A quick glance at his phone, which was currently connected to a charger that was plugged into the wall, helped to confirm his fears.

55 missed messages.

All of them from Aya.

None of them pleasant.

With a groan of frustration, Lee fell back onto his bed and shut his eyes. It seemed that someone had simply been out for his blood today. As if it weren't bad enough that Masaya had insisted, somewhat forcibly, that he treat him and Daisuke to lunch at a restaurant located on the _other side of the city, _Lee had found during a quick escape to the restroom that, much to his dismay, his phone had outright died at some point during the day. To make matters worse, he had a good idea as to why it had died.

Before he had left for Japan, his aunt, upon doing some research on the country her nephew was going to, had discovered that some appliances made in America may not work in Japan. So, out of the goodness of her heart, she informed him of this. As Lee was, at the time, a bit too worked up to think entirely rationally, he had immediately gone online and had ordered a phone charger that would supposedly work on his phone no matter what country he was in. And as a plus, it was being sold at a decent discount, so naturally he bought it.

Suffice it to say, upon returning to the apartment today, he had plugged his phone into the charger only to find out that it, in fact, was not charging his phone at all.

Daisuke had to physically restrain him from shoving it into the garbage disposal.

_Stupid faulty discount charger,_ he thought bitterly. _…Stupid faulty brain for thinking it would be a good idea to buy the stupid faulty discount charger._

The sound of something tapping on his window caught his attention, and, hesitantly, he craned his head up to see what it was.

Leo's feline eyes bored holes into him, and despite being a lion Lee could very well see the obvious irritation on the Guardian Beast's face. Swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat, Lee slowly got off of his bed and walked to the window. "Now Leo," he started, trying to keep his voice steady, "I know that you're not exactly happy with me for not showing up." Seeing the lion's expression darken further, Lee balked and held his hand up. "Okay, you're probably closer to extremely angry-"

"Try 'furious', maybe 'incensed', or perhaps 'slightly _enraged_', and you may get a better idea," Leo hissed, electricity flicking off his mane. He tapped a claw against the window pane again. "Open this window, now!" With a growl, he added, "Before I decide to break it."

Eyes widening almost comically, Lee flung the window open and stepped aside as Leo jumped into his room, the Lion Guardian Beast taking up a decent amount of space in the room. "Now then, would you care to tell me where you were all day? A Host and their Guardian Beast are supposed to have an unbreakable bond, an inseparable connection to one another, yet not only did you _lie_ to me about us meeting together-"

"I didn't lie, I was delayed!"

"Don't interrupt!" Leo bellowed, his roar of anger causing the light in the room to flicker. "You said you would do something, and you did not: that is the very definition of a lie!" Lee felt tempted to actually give him the official definition of a lie from a dictionary, but held off upon seeing how angry the Guardian was. "I placed trust in your decision to wait and tell you _vital information_ on our enemy, and you shattered it! Time has been wasted, and now Mithras could very well be several steps ahead of us. He is not to be underestimated; he will take every opportunity he can to advance whatever his plan is, and now we've practically _handed him_ several hours' worth of time to prepare!"

"Are you sure you're not just overreacting?" Lee flinched at Leo's glare, but steeled himself a moment later. He was really starting to get tired of getting yelled at, and if it wasn't for the fact that his uncle was currently taking a nap in the living room he'd start yelling back. "Look. I don't even know what Mithras is planning – and yes, I know that's what you were going to tell me today, so don't start yelling – so excuse me if I don't have the same crazed sense of urgency that you have. Hell, did you ever consider that this is a bit much for me to take in? I was just a normal guy the other day, now I'm some kind of warrior fighting an evil emperor."

"You agreed to take up the fight against Mithras."

"And I will!" Taking a breath to calm himself down, Lee continued, "But I've got other responsibilities besides that. You know why I wasn't at the park today? I was meeting the man who _brought _me here. The man who paid for my plane ticket here, who offered to pay for all my living expenses, and who was best friends with my parents. He wanted to see me so badly that he rescheduled an important board meeting that was going to be held today, just so he could see his two best friends' son for the first time." He leaned forwards, coming face-to-muzzle with Leo. "If that man hadn't done that, I wouldn't have come here, and you wouldn't have me as a Host. All he wanted to do was see me, to say hello. I think that _you_ owe him at least that much."

The two of them stayed that way for a while, neither flinching under the other's gaze until Leo's head jerked to the side suddenly. His eyes narrowed and his ears flattened against his skull. "I smell another creature, just like the one from yesterday," he said. "It's not far from here." Looking back at Lee, he saw the young man scribbling something down on a piece of paper. "What are you doing?"

"Leaving a note for my uncle," Lee snapped, his patience having finally wore thin. "He's letting me live here. I at least can tell him I'm going out for a little while." Leo looked away, mentally cursing himself.

"Fine. Just hurry. I don't want it getting away."

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later, Lee and Leo were standing in front of an office building, staring up at the rooftop. "It's all the way up there, huh?" Lee asked, already dreading the trek up. "I don't suppose you can fly me up there."<p>

"Not unless you wish to be electrocuted by pure lightning," Leo replied. "However, I fear that this is a trap. It has not left this spot since I first caught its scent, and there is no one around for it to attack." Closing his eyes, Leo tilted his head to the side and pondered on the best course of action. "Climbing the building itself would not be wise, as you would expend energy that could be otherwise be used to fight it. Still, we cannot just allow it to remain up there, as someone may stumble across-"

"It just jumped!"

"What!?" Snapping his eyes open, Leo looked up, eyes wide in shock as he saw a pitch black figure descending from the roof of the building, approaching them rapidly. "Lee, quickly!" he said before turning into a sphere of electricity and flying into Lee's chest. Instantly the belt formed around the young man's waist.

"Henshin!" he called, flicking open the lion's mouth. The belt roared as the golden wall of lightning formed in front of him, quickly washing over his body to form the armor of RaiLeon, his sword already in hand. He raised it just in time to block an attack from the monster, though it still managed to deliver a sharp kick to his chest as it jumped away, the light of a nearby street lamp revealing its form.

It was covered in jet black fur, dark as the night's sky. It was built like a normal human, with lean muscle showing beneath its skin, and resembled a panther. Any resemblance to a human ended, however, once one noticed the grayish-blue metal that was growing out of its body. Serrated blades extended from its wrists, the light of the lamp glinting malevolently off of their edges. Its feet were covered entirely in metal, with a blade emerging from the back of the leg acting almost like a heel. More metal covered its chest and upper arms. Its tail, which was flicking anxiously back and forth, had a long blade extending from the tip that would occasionally strike the ground with enough force to throw up a spray of sparks. The head had feline traits to it, and two blades curved out from the back of its head to the front. It regarded them both with cold, orange eyes.

"_Panther…"_ Leo whispered. He was currently inside of Lee's mind, the best possible place to offer any sort of tactical support to his Host. It was almost as if he were floating in a vast void; whether or not that meant Lee was empty headed was unclear to him. At the moment, all the images Lee saw were transferring themselves directly to his own eyes, and he was not liking what stood before them at all.

"You know him?"

"_Somewhat… He is the Guardian Beast of Blades. In the past, any weapon that would receive his blessing was a tool of destruction upon the battlefield. Men would fall like wheat to a sickle in the presence of such a blade." _The lion growled slightly. _"He was one of the many Guardian Beasts to be seen as a deity of war by humans because of this; I fear he was one of the few to let it get to his head. As a Guardian, there were few fighters more prideful and confident than he."_

"So I should probably be careful when fighting him, is basically what you're saying." Lee flexed his free hand open and closed, shifting his stance to prepare for the fight. "Any advice you can give me on how to fight him?"

"_Don't let him hit you._"

Lee was about to reply back with a sarcastic comment when the former Guardian Beast let out a yowl of annoyance and lunged forwards, closing the distance between itself and the Golden Warrior with surprising speed. Lee barely managed to block a swipe from one of its wrist-blades with his sword, and quickly countered with a strike from his clawed gauntlet. The monster's other hand shot up and caught the punch, leaving the two in a brief deadlock. It was broken when the monster's bladed tail shot out from behind and raked itself across Lee's chest, throwing up a shower of sparks as it struck his armor.

"Ah!" Lee cried out, stumbling back in pain – and inadvertently leaving a perfect opening for the former Guardian Beast, who jumped forwards and delivered a strong kick to its opponent's chest. Lee fell to the ground, the wind driven from his body, and let out a cry as he rolled out of the bladed tail that was coming straight for his neck. Scrambling to his feet, he rushed the monster, swinging away with his sword as he tried to find an opening in its defenses. Every swing, however, was blocked or deflected by the monster's wrist blades; apparently, despite its transformation into a monster, the Panther Guardian Beast had retained its skill in combat. The fact that the bladed tail it possessed capable of acting as a third limb didn't help matters, as it constantly scored hits on Lee's armor.

Finally, with a growl, the monster lashed out with its tail and wrapped it around the blade of Lee's weapon. "What!?" Lee cried, shocked. He didn't have time to react as the monster wrenched the sword from his hand and threw it to the side with a flick of its tail. Growling, Lee backed away, eyes flicking back and forth between his discarded weapon and the monster that was slowly advancing towards him. "Leo, what do I do? I can't even get a hit in on it!"

"_I'm honestly disappointed you haven't already figured out the solution." _Leo snorted from within Lee's mind, and somehow the young man could perfectly picture the smirk that was on the lion's face. _"Maybe you would be doing better had you came to the meeting today, as we had agreed upon._"

"Is now really the time!?" Lee snapped, rolling to the side to avoid a tail slash from the monster. "Look, I did what I had to do. I've got other responsibilities!"

"_Be that as it may, look where those other responsibilities have gotten you!"_

"You can't actually be telling me that it's my fault that I'm fighting something stronger than me!" As the tail-blade came flying at him again, Lee let out roar of frustration and swung his gauntlet at it, trying to simply deflect it. He didn't notice the crackling electricity that had formed on the claws until the two weapons connected, a shower of sparks flying from the impact. For Lee, his arm was simply knocked away, but for his feline opponent, the effect was far more drastic.

The electricity from the gauntlet transferred into the monster's bladed tail, the metal acting as a perfect conductor. The monster let out a pained yelp as electricity ran throughout its body, aided by the metal that grew from its skin, paralyzing it.

Lee simply stared at the display in shock.

"It _can't_ be that easy," he muttered, looking down at his gauntlet. It was normal again, no electricity running along the claws. "But if it really is…" He focused on the gauntlet, imagining the way it had acted previously. Sparks of yellow lightning began to flicker between the claws, and a moment later it was coated again in electricity, eliciting a cry of victory from the young man. "Alright, let's see how kitty likes getting clawed!"

The former Panther Guardian Beast had just recovered from its electrocution and was staggering to its feet when Lee pounced upon it, raking his charged claw across its chest. The monster howled in pain as electricity surged through its body again. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lee began unleashing a flurry of punches at the monster's head, each hit hard enough to make its head snap back, before finishing with an electrically-charged uppercut from his clawed gauntlet that knocked it off its feet. It landed on the ground in a heap, spasms wracking its body.

"_Not bad… Now finish it!"_

"I am, I am," Lee sighed, moving his hand down to his belt and flicking the lion's mouth up. "Time for you to hear me roar," he quipped as he reopened the lion's mouth.

"**Lightning Charge!"**

Electricity covered Lee's form as he crouched low to the ground, forming the lion-shaped golden aura around his body. Leaping into the air, Lee twisted around at the height of his jump and tucked in his left leg, right leg remaining extended. The energy covering his body amassed around his foot, forming a roaring lion's head, and with a savage cry he made impact, the resulting explosion lighting up the night.

Lee crouched low to the ground, panting. _I'm really not used to this,_ he thought. _If I'd had to fight that thing any longer, I don't think I'd have made it._ Shaking his head, he moved to deactivate the transformation when something shot out of the flames. "Wha- Ah!" He barely managed to hit the ground as the object flew over him, striking the side of a nearby building with enough force to crack the wall. "What was that?" the young man asked as he got to his feet, staring into the smoke to see what had attacked him.

"_Lee, there's another enemy!"_

Just as Leo spoke, something struck Lee from behind, knocking him to the ground. A clawed hand roughly grabbed his shoulder and flipped him over; much to both Host and Guardian Beast's surprise, it was the former Panther Guardian Beast. There were places where its fur had been burnt off, revealing pale pink flesh beneath, but it otherwise appeared unharmed. With an angry hiss, it grabbed Lee by the throat and began to drag him along the ground, running faster and faster before finally throwing him into the air.

"How did that thing-"

Lee's question was cut off as a heavy weight slammed into his back, slamming him back into the ground with enough force that Lee swore he felt something break. Struggling to lift his head, his eyes widened in shock as he saw the monstrous panther walk up to stand beside another figure.

The figure was large and bulky, a sharp contrast to its sleeker partner. Thick, trunk-like legs supported its frame. Covering its lower legs were thick brown growths that looked similar to the pattern of a tortoise shell. Its torso was muscular, with a wide, powerful chest. Its chest and abdomen were covered by the same brown growth on its chest, exposing the deep green flesh on its sides. The arms were just as thick and powerful looking as the legs, with the brown growths coming from the shoulders and extending down to its elbows. In either of its four-fingered hands, it held a large, tortoise-shell shaped shield. The top of its head was entirely made of the brown growths, with dull yellow eyes that stared at Lee impassively.

"_Tortoise as well!?" _The panic in Leo's voice was palpable. _"Lee, this is not a battle we can win, not as injured as you are. The Tortoise was the Guardian Beast of Shields, and was capable of making any shield nigh-impenetrable. If he and the Guardian Beast of Blades are working together… I can think of few combinations deadlier…"_

Lee growled as he looked at the two monsters before him, standing in the flames. They looked down on him, and he could imagine the mockery in their eyes. Slowly, he pushed himself to a sitting position, crying out when he felt a stab of pain in his left arm. "Leo," he gasped, trying not to focus on the pain – his arm was injured, he was certain of it. Whether it was broken or not, he couldn't tell. "Leo… we have to keep fighting."

"_What!? Lee, no! It's far too risky in your present condition! You don't have the experience needed to fight these two!"_

"And I might never have it! But if I run, what's to stop them from following me anyway?" He staggered to his feet, cradling his left arm. "I can't lead them back home… Uncle Daisuke could get killed…"

"_**You'll**__ get killed if you attempt to fight these two! Please, Lee, you have to run," _Leo pleaded, only to grit his teeth together when he realized he simply wasn't reaching the young man. _The fool will get himself killed. He's so young, so inexperienced… and so much like his predecessor._ Sighing in defeat, the lion nodded. _"Very well. We shall keep fighting, but first, you'll need to heal."_

"And how do I do that?" The words had scarcely left Lee's mouth when a faint green light began to shine from the side of his belt. Looking down, he saw a small container that he hadn't noticed before. Opening it, he saw, to his surprise, the Core he had taken from the monster he'd fought yesterday. "Where did- Why is it-"

"_The Guardian Beast within can lend us her powers. Place the Core in the belt and close it."_

Lee nodded, still confused. Taking the Core, he placed it into the mouth of the lion and shut the lion's mouth.

"**Moth! Spirit of Healing Spores!"**

"'Healing Spores'?" Lee questioned, only to receive his answer as green energy began to fall from the sky and land on his body. Everywhere they touched, he immediately felt a wave of intense relief; even his arm no longer felt injured. "I feel great!" he declared after a few moments, flexing his left hand and taking pleasure in the fact that he felt no pain from it. As th last of the spores faded away, the lion's mouth popped open, the Core's light dimmer than it had been. Silently thanking it, Lee removed the Core and placed it back into the container. "I've got to say, I'm thankful for her help…though I'm still wondering how she's the Spirit of 'Healing Spores'…"

Leo was about to say something, when the panther monster, having finally had enough with waiting, screeched loudly and charged the Golden Warrior. Acting quickly, Lee dodged to the side, lashing out with a kick that caught the monster in the back and made it stumble forwards. As fate would have it, its foot landed directly on the handle of Lee's sword that had been discarded earlier in the fight, throwing it off balance and knocking it to the ground. "I think this is mine," Lee said as he picked the sword up and gave it a test swing.

A loud groan caught his attention, and he turned his head just in time to see the tortoise monster throw one of its shields at him. Raising his sword, he blocked it and the shield flew away. "You know, shields usually don't work that way," he quipped, only to stop short when another shield appeared in the monster's empty hand in a flash of light. "How is that fair!?"

An angry growl from below caught his attention, and he looked down to see that he'd accidentally stepped onto the panther monster's tail, pinning it to the ground. "Oh, shut up!" With a hiss, the monster slammed its palms into the ground and threw itself up, knocking Lee off of it. It turned around and aimed a high kick at his head, only for him to duck low and come up with a strong slash from his blade, scoring a deep gash across the metal chest of the monster. It yowled in pain and backed away, clutching at its injury.

Not willing to lose the advantage, Lee charged the monster, only for its ally to nearly punch his head off with one of its shields. Twisting to avoid another massive blow, he brought the sword down onto its arm. To his surprise, the blade simply bounced off as it hit one of the brown growths on its arm. The former Tortoise Guardian Beast simply grunted and backhanded Lee, who managed to recover his footing just as the panther monster leapt at him, all three of its blades bearing down on him. He blocked the attack and retaliated with a strike from his clawed gauntlet, hitting it where he'd injured it previously. It hissed and backed away, running into the monstrous tortoise behind hit.

For a moment, Lee actually felt slightly confident. Even if he couldn't hurt the big one, he'd already injured the other and he knew its weakness to electricity.

All hopes were shattered when the monsters began to laugh, a raspy chuckle from the panther and a bellowing guffaw from the tortoise. Crouching low to the ground, the panther suddenly flung itself straight up into the air. At the same time, the former Tortoise Guardian Beast reared both of its shields back, dark green energy surrounding the weapons. Lee took an involuntary step back as the former Panther Guardian Beast curled itself into a ball with its tail extended, and began to spin.

"_Lee, move!"_ Leo shouted, realizing that they'd clearly underestimated the intelligence of these monsters. _"It's a combination attack!"_

"What!?"

Spinning faster and faster as it fell back to the ground, a black and silver glow began to envelop the monstrous panther. As it fell in front of its ally, the tortoise monster punched forwards with both of its shields, sending its partner flying forwards in a blur of green, black, and silver that struck Lee dead on.

Lee screamed in pain as he was flung back from the attack, the armor of RaiLeon vanishing as both Host and Guardian Beast fell to the ground unconscious.

* * *

><p>Mithras watched with amusement as he saw the two monsters – Hell Beasts, Malrok had called them – perform their combined attack. "How interesting. I assumed these creatures were little more than simple beasts. Tell me, Malrok: where did the two of them learn how to fight like this?"<p>

The sorcerer bowed low to the ground. "A simple adjustment I made to my spell after I learned of RaiLeon's existence. A simple mind is fine for following orders, but they can so often be trumped through wit. A boost in their intelligence is all that I gave them." Looking up at the screen, he smirked from beneath his hood. "It seems that my Hell Beasts have also gained some form of combat adaptability; even I hadn't planned on them using an attack such as that."

"This is ridiculous!" Zabon growled, his tail slamming against the ground in anger. The Draconian had finally left his forge, his chest uncharacteristically bare due to him repairing his armor. "Why should mindless beasts such as these two be allowed to have the honor of crushing that Guardian Beast and its Host? Those bastards ruined my armor – I should be the one to deal their deathblows, not them!"

"Perhaps if you spent less time fussing over your armor and more time actually strategizing, you would have," Malrok remarked. This earned a piercing glare from the Draconian, fire already beginning to escape from his jaws as he debated whether or not to roast the sorcerer then and there. A blinding flash of light from the screen, however, stopped him and instead he let out a scream of pain as he covered his eyes, while Malrok let out a cry of surprise and hid his face with a sleeve. "W-what is that!? Where did this light come from!?"

Mithras simply sat back on his throne seemingly unaffected by the brilliant glow, an amused chuckle escaping him. "It would seem we have all underestimated our foes," he remarked. Somehow, this light had managed to completely blind all of his Eyes in the area, flooding his throne room with its radiance. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the screens, returning the room to its normal state of lighting. "Malrok, assuming your monsters are still in one piece and are capable of returning, I want you to learn the name of who attacked them."

"M-milord? Whatever do you mean?" Malrok asked… a nearby pillar, still blind from looking directly into the light. "How are you sure they are being attacked?"

"Do you think an ally would have blinded my Eyes?" Mithras shook his head. "It would appear a new player has emerged in this game."

_One with greater experience than our little RaiLeon, if I am right._

* * *

><p>Both the Panther and Tortoise Hell Beasts were approaching the fallen pair, intent on finishing them off, when a voice from behind caught their attention.<p>

"Two against one is hardly fair play."

"**Light Charge!"**

Turning around, they hissed/groaned in agony as a piercing light assaulted their eyes. Barely visible in the harsh backlight was a figure, a strange bow held in their hands.

A bow that was pointed at them.

"Allow me to even the odds."

And with that said, a beam of pure light fired from the bow, straight at the monsters.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Sorry for this one being shorter than the first. I'm aiming for all of the Chapters for this story to be in the ballpark of 10,000 words apiece. This one, though, was more of a Chapter to setup events for the future. <em>**

**_I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read this story. If you'd like to leave a review and give me a little feedback, a little critique, then it would be greatly appreciated. Whether you do or you don't, I hope you all have a wonderful day._**


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